The Executive Support Series™
Become the Strategic Partner Your Executive Needs
One clear path from task-doer to trusted partner, taught by administrative training pioneer Joan Burge.
The Problem
Most Assistants Are Winging It
The admin role is one of the most crucial roles in any organization. Yet most assistants never get real training on how to fill it. Sound familiar?
- Struggling to communicate clearly with your executive
- Out of alignment on key tasks and goals
- Not providing the level of support you're capable of
- Not fully understanding what your executive's role demands
- Feeling stuck in your career with no clear next step
- Living in a constant state of chaos instead of a plan
The Solution
A Real Game Plan, Not Another Webinar
"This Series is designed to be impactful no matter how many years you have under your belt."
What You'll Walk Away With
Six Shifts This Training Makes Possible
Confidence and Competence
Stop second-guessing yourself and start acting like the expert you're becoming.
Stronger Communication
Say what needs to be said, in a way your executive actually hears.
A True Partnership
Build a working relationship based on trust, not just task completion.
Resolved Friction
Work through the obstacles that have kept you from a stellar partnership in the past.
High-level Skills
Master the specific competencies that separate good assistants from great ones
Career Momentum
Move from task-doer to indispensable partner, no matter your years of experience.
48
Video Lessons
10
Hours of Content
16
Core Modules
6
Month Access
Course Curriculum
16 Modules.
Every Skill an Executive Partner Needs.
Click any module to see exactly what's covered inside.
Tip: watch in order. Joan built each module to connect to and build on the one before it.
Module 1: Creating a Strategic Partnership
- The difference between a partnership and a strategic partnership
- Assessing where you sit on the growth pyramid
- Becoming more intentional about the partnership
- Recognizing your why
- Forecasting potential roadblocks
- Inserting yourself into your executive’s world
- Remembering you’re a cognitive being
- Maximizing skills to reach higher levels of success
- Harnessing the power of emotional intelligence
- Achieving and interpreting the 50,000-foot view
- Connecting the dots
- Seeking sources that expand your view
1 hr 9 min
Module 2: Clarifying and Meeting Expectations
- Common questions, misconceptions, and needs for assistants
- Why executives and assistants struggle
- Overcoming obstacles and meeting higher standards
- Identifying what skills you need to develop
- Using outside perspective to grow
- How ongoing conversation builds alignment
- Understanding expectations and meeting them
- Finding out what your audience wants
- Why clarifying objectives never really stops
- Administrative competencies that help you shine
- Understanding 360-degree feedback
- Finding the right competency assessment
- How leaning in pays off
- Taking on impactful work, not busy work
- Thinking broad, always
1 hr 19 min
Module 3: Understanding an Executive's World
- Creating new value through alignment
- When and how to push the limits
- Looking for and understanding hidden signals
15 Minutes
Module 4: Interpersonal Skills Necessary for Success
- What soft skills actually include
- Improving your everyday interactions
- The cost of poor interpersonal skills
- Building a holistic approach to your skillset
- Self-assessing what you need to develop
- Including your leader in your growth
17 Minutes
Module 5: Learning in Tandem with Your Executive
- How learning in tandem drives growth and success
- Mapping your path and trajectory
- Starting the education conversation with your executive
- The power of true behavioral change
- Building an effective learning strategy
- Identifying future skills before you need them
26 Minutes
Module 6: Teach Your Executive How to Partner
- Being clear about what you need
- 15 steps to teach your executive how to partner with you
- Overcoming the hidden barriers to why executives don’t partner
22 Minutes
Module 7: Communications
- Common problems that block solid communication
- Personality and perspective struggles
- Moving from problems to solutions
- How communication style shapes relationships
- Characteristics of style preferences
- Accurately assessing your own style
- What active listening really requires
- The cost of not listening to your executive
- Good listening practices
- Setting aside time for critical conversations
- Preparing for your executive’s reaction
- Crafting your words with intention
- The power of a daily huddle
- Making the most of shared time
- Keeping communication flowing while remote
- Communicating big ideas clearly
- Selecting keywords and phrases to mirror
- Speaking with clarity
1 hr 49 min
Module 8: Working Together in a Virtual World
- Embracing new tools and taking the lead
- Using creativity to grow
- Supporting your executive through change
8 min
Module 9: Managing Your Executive's Travel
- Your primary goal as a travel planner
- Putting yourself in your executive’s shoes
- Add-ons that improve the trip
- When to ask for guidance
- Key organization skills for business trips
- Knowing when research is needed
33 min
Module 10: Mastering Calendar Management
- Understanding who your executive is
- Considering all the critical elements
- Assessing what belongs on the calendar
- Focusing on your executive’s needs
- Becoming a true gatekeeper
- Planning ahead while managing today
- Best practices for scheduling
- Where to leave open time
- Giving your leader breaks to thrive
- Considering who, what, when, and where
- Reviewing the calendar consistently
- Developing a Plan B
- Knowing what could go wrong
- Asking the right questions before scheduling
- Putting priority where it belongs
24 min
Module 11: Help Your Executive Maintain a Competitive Edge
- Keeping your executive in the know
- Learning the competition
- Following the right industry influencers
- Behavior to avoid at work
- Using emotional intelligence
- Being a genuine fan of your company
- Using your own judgment
- Building a thought process instead of relying on an app
- Learning who matters to your executive
- Treating valuable clients and visitors well
- Paying attention to industry events
- Taking control of your day
- Separating busy work from impactful work
- Watching for time robbers
- Identifying gaps and how to close them
- Learning by watching others
- Finding the right education and growth path
- Using a future-focused mindset
- Knowing what to watch for
- Avoiding issues before they happen
- Understanding your executive’s brand
- Knowing when and how to reinforce it
- Promoting your leader’s accomplishments
1 hr 39 min
Module 12: Know Your Executive
- Thinking like your leader
- Using curiosity to gain clarity
- Reducing frustration through empathy
- What to pay attention to
- Building better rapport
- Key tips for studying your executive
- Becoming a more effective balance to your leader
- Developing anticipation skills
- Relating to your executive more deeply
20 min
Module 13: Protecting Your Executive's Image
- Providing information to clients and colleagues
- Taking tasks off your executive’s plate
- Recognizing the leader’s human element
12 min
Module 14: Taking Care of You
- Managing and dealing with guilt
- Setting expectations and knowing when to say no
- Finding a venting partner before things fester
16 min
Module 15: Resolving Partnership Problems
- The biggest struggles assistants face
- Setting clear partnership goals
- Paving a path toward improvement
- The different kinds of difficult leaders
- Identifying types of behavior
- Approaching a difficult leader effectively
14 min
Module 16: Orchestrating and Supporting Multiple Managers
- Establishing uniform procedures
- Understanding different work styles
- Being crystal clear on expectations
16 min
Additional Resources
In addition to the 48 learning videos by Joan Burge, you will receive a range of resources to support your development including:
- Downloadable checklists, tip sheets, and charts
- Downloadable eBooks
- Communication Style Assessment
- Administrative Competency Assessment
- Visuals to Emphasize Key Learnings
- Leader vs. Manager Continuum
- Downloadable Executive & Assistants Working in Partnership Guide
Extra resources were awesome… a good mixture with the slides and note-taking.
In Their Words
What Graduates Say
- The program was more in-depth than anything else I’ve taken through Office Dynamics. There were nuggets of wisdom within every video….nuggets that I felt haven’t been revealed in the webinars or the World Class Assistant, for instance.
- Each of the videos were just the right length – you could do a ½ hour of training here and there throughout the workweek with no issues on it eating up huge chunks of your time.
- I loved that we are forced to take notes – that makes us accountable for the learnings.
- I’m a big fan of Joan’s and have always enjoyed her teaching style. She has a way of captivating her audience and is so authentic and real.
- Your teaching style is what I love most! You are one of us, being on both sides of the desk you get it. You know what we are looking for and you give us just that. You teach in a way that is easily understood and you give us examples.
- The Executive Support Series course was absolutely what I was hoping it would be.
- Not too difficult
- Not too time consuming
- The content and visuals were clean and easy to follow
- The examples and experiences you gave, truly makes you reflect
Joan, your teaching style (for me) is so awesome! I almost have withdrawals of not watching religiously how to be the best Admin.
You have such a warm and engaging style that draws the listener in. You clearly know your material and I’m always excited to learn from someone who is both experienced and can inspire others to learn, as well. I liked that you provided lists, charts, and infographics to reinforce your speaking points.
I absolutely loved the course content and format; your teaching style, visuals, and added resources. I am 40 years in the industry and learned so much more that I can use going forward.
I was the first person to complete this course and obtain the CESP designation. What a powerful and amazing course that Joan Burge and the ODI team put together.
What I love about the Executive Support Series course:
- This course covers everything from how to think like an executive, how to be a strategic business partner and the daily skills top CEOs in the world are looking for. I can’t wait to put the information into practice!
- The content is all-encompassing of Office Dynamics courses, woven together for a complete education on strategic partnerships and interpersonal skills. I created the ultimate desk reference with the notes, worksheets, and workbooks from this course.
This course is like one-on-one mentoring from Joan. Joan gives you her best knowledge and tips and tells of her own experiences.
Your teaching style is authentic and applicable to every level of office worker. The extra resources are great reference tools and provide excellent knowledge.
Thank you for providing professional training videos. I have 36 years of office experience and learn each time you provide training for certification and webinars!
I found the content thoughtfully laid out and comprehensive. Your delivery and teaching style is easy to understand, direct, personable, and enjoyable. Your passion for the profession comes through in every video (and really, everything you do!); your enthusiasm causes the spark in me to catch on fire, burn brighter, and causes me to get excited once again about the future in my career.
I enjoyed being able to take the course at my own pace… watching videos early in the morning while my household was quiet, allowing me to focus; being able to pause as needed to ensure the notes I was capturing were accurately reflecting the lesson. Most of all, it was wonderful not to sit in a classroom as that is not a comfortable learning environment for me.
I felt the information was prepared and shared in easy to digest videos with a nice balance of graphics and valuable downloadable resources, ensuring I have a comprehensive guide to use going forward at my fingertips.
I am stoked about my future! Thank you for creating the series!
Turn What You Learn Into a Designation: CESP
Why it's different
Other admin credentials are built to cover the whole profession: business law, accounting, records management, general communication. That breadth is genuinely useful, and this isn’t a replacement for it.
CESP does something different on purpose. It goes deep on one relationship instead of wide across the profession: the one between you and your executive. Every module is built around becoming a stronger strategic partner, not a generalist. That’s not a smaller version of a certification. It’s a specific one.
Why bother
- Stand out from assistants holding only general designations
- Position yourself for promotion and a stronger salary conversation
- Show leaders you're committed to the profession, not just the paycheck
- No recertification required, ever
How to earn it
- Register and watch all 48 videos within 6 months
- Take notes and absorb the concepts as you go
- Pass the test with a score of 85% or higher (three attempts included)
- Receive your certificate by email within 72 hours
- Add CESP after your name on LinkedIn, your resume, and your signature line
Measure your performance as an assistant
Access The Executive Support Effectiveness Assessment
Do you possess the competencies, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to fully and successfully support an executive or manager? This 5-page assessment is packed with 72 ways to measure your performance and is designed to help you realize your impact and how well you complement business objectives and executive support.
Investment
One Price. Six Months of Access.
A Lifetime Designation.
The admin role is one of the most crucial roles in any organization. Yet most assistants never get real training on how to fill it. Sound familiar?
$3,500 Value
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6 months of full access
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48 training videos, about 10 hours total
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Downloadable checklists, guides, and assessments
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Option to earn the CESP designation
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50+ years of combined administrative expertise
The Executive Support Series™ Brochure
A breakdown of the Executive Support Series™ plethora of content designed to provide real, actionable change in your career.
Letter to Your Executive
A personal letter from the series creator and CEO, Joan Burge, on the benefits and outcomes of this series and why they should invest.
Meet Your Instructor
Joan Burge, Founder & CEO, Office Dynamics International
Joan founded Office Dynamics in 1990, building the administrative training industry from a niche that barely existed. She spent decades as an assistant herself before becoming an author, speaker, and corporate trainer to Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble, Disney, Cisco, Boeing, and Humana.
She built this Series in 2020, recording all 48 videos herself so assistants everywhere could get direct, one-on-one style mentoring on exactly what it takes to support an executive well.
"Without ongoing education, our minds languish, and we become more like robots and less like powerful, innovative, creative pioneers. Invest in yourself. I've never met a single assistant who regretted it."
One Last Thing
Most Companies Cover This.
You Just Have to Ask.
In most cases, your executive or company pays for this, not you. But nobody hands you a budget line without you asking for it first. Here’s the case for both of you, ready to bring to that conversation.
- What to say about you
- "This isn't a broad admin certification I already have. It's built entirely around how I support you, specifically."
- "It's a one-time cost of $795, six months of access, and I don't have to recertify later."
- "I'm not asking for training for training's sake. I want us to work better together, and this gives us a shared game plan for that."
- "I'll come back with a clearer read on how you think, how you like to work, and where I can take more off your plate."
- What's in it for them
- A partner who filters what reaches you, instead of just passing everything along.
- Fewer dropped balls on travel, scheduling, and follow-up, because I'll understand your world, not just your calendar.
- Someone who works a step ahead of you, not just alongside you.
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More of your own time back for the work only you can do.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Click any module to see exactly what's covered inside.
Tip: watch in order. Joan built each module to connect to and build on the one before it.
How do I access the course after I register?
You’ll get a welcome email with your login credentials right after you complete registration. If it doesn’t show up, check your spam folder or ask your IT team to whitelist emails from Office Dynamics.
How long do I have access after purchase?
You get 6 months of access to all 48 videos, about 10 hours of content total. Joan built in a time limit on purpose, so you stay committed instead of letting life get in the way. If you need more time, a 30-day extension is available for $50.
Do I have to watch the videos in order?
Joan strongly recommends it. She built the modules to flow into and build on each other, so watching in sequence gets you the most out of the training.
What is the Certified Executive Strategic Partner designation from Office Dynamics?
CESP is a “specialized” designation for administrative professionals that communicates you are a highly trained, highly-skilled, professional who supports executives, key leaders, directors, and the management team.
There are other professional designations for administrative professionals that can be achieved through professional associations. Even at Office Dynamics, we offer two other high-level certifications with designations called the CEAP (Certified Executive Administrative Professional) and CWCA (Certified World Class Assistant).
The significant difference in obtaining the CESP is that the teachings fully and exclusively focus on the competencies, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to support someone in leadership whereas other certifications cover a gamut of topics such as business acumen, business law, accounting, administration, technology, records management, and general communications.
When you achieve Office Dynamics’ CESP designation, it will say to a potential employer or current executive that you are fully committed to being the best possible strategic partner. It says that you understand, first and foremost, your purpose is to alleviate your executive of any tasks that are barriers to their success or fulfilling the mission of their work and business; that you “run the ball down the field” next to your executive.
Office Dynamics is the first in the administrative training industry to offer this highly coveted certification and designation.
The CESP designation was created by Joan Burge, Founder and CEO of Office Dynamics International. Joan has a deep understanding of the administrative profession from 20 years’ experience and 30+ years as a CEO and executive. She brought these two perspectives together in 2020 during the pandemic by recording 48 educational videos specific to the topic of supporting an executive and creating strategic partnerships.
Why is it important for an administrative assistant or executive assistant to get this specific designation?
- Create opportunities for yourself in terms of more challenging and interesting work, thus moving away from being an order taker and task doer.
- You will stand out from the crowd. Whereas other assistants might have the broader designations from IAAP (CAP) or from APC (PACE), this designation will alert others that you invested time absorbed in what it takes to be the best of the best.
- Could lead to promotion and salary increase. C-Suite executives and top-level leadership must have the best administrative partner at their side. They must have someone who grows in tandem in their profession just as much as the executive grows in their role. This designation will give you the edge when competing for a high-level position.
- The CESP designation tells others that you see yourself as a Career Executive-Level Assistant whose mission is to strategically support a leader. And that you understand there are 101 nuances to fulfilling this mission.
- Earning a certificate or designation validates the person’s high-level of expertise and often leads to added prestige … not to mention the fact that a professional certification may also yield a pay bump and generally puts holders ahead of the pack.
- Demonstrates commitment to your profession. Receiving a certification and designation shows your peers, leaders, and the general public how committed you are to your chosen career, along with how well you perform to set standards. It sets you apart as a leader in your field.
- Certification builds self-esteem. Certifications create a standard for a particular profession, complete with performance standards, ethics, and career paths. You will see yourself as a certified professional who controls his or her own professional destiny.
- Because you want to learn real-world strategies and tips from Joan Burge, 50-year veteran in the administrative profession, pioneer of the administrative training industry since 1990, and visionary for the future of the role. Joan Burge is the most sought-after expert in the training industry by Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble, Walt Disney World, Nationwide Insurance, Cisco Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, and Humana.
- Joan will tell you like it is! She cares about you, your well-being, and career success.
How do I obtain the Certified Executive Strategic Partner (CESP) designation:
- Register for Office Dynamics’ Executive Support Series™ course.
- Watch all 48 videos within 3 months. (Note: Some videos are shorter than other video segments.)
- As you watch the videos, be sure to absorb what Joan says; take notes; make sure you understand the concepts and strategies.
- Take the test when you feel confident in what you learned. You must get at least 85% of the questions right to receive the CESP designation. You will have three chances to pass the test.
- When you pass the test, you will receive your certificate displaying your designation.
- Proudly display the CESP initials after your name in signature lines, on your LinkedIn profile, on resumes, and anywhere else that is business related.
If you have any questions, please call 800-STAR-139.
Do I have to get certified?
Once you pass with 85% or higher, your certificate is processed and emailed within 72 hours, sometimes a bit longer.
Do I have to take the certification test?
Only if you want the CESP designation. The course itself doesn’t require it.
How will I get my certificate?
No, certification is optional. We recommend going for it, since employers value assistants who’ve earned real credentials, and it can give you an edge.
How do I take the test?
Testing information is available on the main course page and on the final video’s page. You’ll also get 60- and 90-day follow-up emails with the test link.
Is there a time limit on the test?
No time limit, but we recommend taking it while the material is still fresh.
What happens if I don't pass the test?
You get three attempts. You need 85% or higher to pass. We recommend taking detailed notes and testing before your access window closes, in case you need to revisit any videos.
Do I need to recertify later?
No. The CESP is a curriculum-based designation, so once you earn it, it’s yours for good.
Is there group pricing for our administrative staff?
Yes. If you want to enroll your whole admin team, call 800-STAR-139 for enterprise pricing and details.
Can I share my access with a co-worker?
No. One registration covers one person, and each attendee needs to register and pay separately. Sharing access gets you removed with no refund and disqualifies you from the CESP designation.
What's the cancellation and refund policy?
There are no refunds or transfers for the Executive Support Series.